Apparatus for production of nonwarping fiber board



6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR William H 11a50n .4i/!Qzz ow-J' W ATTORNEYS W. H. MASON APPARA'1US FOR PRODUCTION OF NONWARPI NG FIBER BOARDS Original Filed Dec.- 11. 1929 Aug. 22, 1933.

Aug. 22, 1933. w. H. MASON APPARA'I'US FOR PRODUCTION OFNONWARPING FIBER BOARDS Original Fiied Dec.

11. 1929 e Shee'is-Shegt 3 INVENTOR William H Mason Aug. 22, 1933. w. H. MASON 1923106 ARPARATUS FR PRODUCTION OF NONWARPING FIBER BARDS Original Filed Dec. 11. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN+OR W l/z'am H Mason ATTORNEY5 w. H. MASON 1,923,106

Original Filed Des. 11. 1929 s Sheets-Shet 5 Aug. 22, 1933.

APPARATUS FOR momgcnon OF NONWARPING FIBER BOARDS mm U n R0 05 E m m EM o m d U M W Aug. 22, 1933. w. H. MASON APPARATUS FOR PRODUCTION 0F NONWARPING FIBER BOARDS Original Filed Dec. 11. 1929 6 Sheecs-Sheet 6 E Y W ATTO'RNEYS Patehted Aug. 22, 1933 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARA'IUS von rnonuc*n0n 01 NON- warme FIBER no.mn

Wlllla.m H. Mason, Laurel, Miss. assignor'to Masonite Corporation, Laure], Miss. a Corporatlon o1." Delaware 9 Ol.ims. (01. 34-31) My inven'tion relates to an im;iroved apparatus for the production cf hot-pressed non-warping ber boards v In the manufacture of boards of vegetable fiber pulp, I have found it cf great adva.ntage to reta.in in the raw pulp a large percentage 01 the lignin o! the material from which the pulp is made, by'

preference substantially all cf lt, and to subject lignin and cellulose containing material to sufllcieni; pressure and heat to ca.use the lignin anal cellulose to become compacted, bonded or welded and substantially dried into a, very strong, hard, rigid, substantially non-porous body o1 sheet 01 a. speciflc gravity cf approximately one '01 more than one. During the pressing operation ab least one surface of the material should be in contact with wire mesh or other foraminous material, placed between it and the press platzen. A press suitable f0r the simultaneous pressing cf a large number of boards is shown in my application Serial N0. 357,737, filed April 24, 1929.

This application is a division of my application Serial N0. 413,198, filed December 11, 1929, entitled Process for production cf non-warping ber boards.

In producing a board of the character mentioned it is highly desirable that the moisture content of theilnished product be as highas 6% or 8%, since a. board which contains substantially less moisture than this when exposed to atmospherlc air cf ordinary humidity has a tendency to absorb moisture therefrom.

Such absorption is ordinarily very slight as long as the sheets are arranged in piles, as in a warehouse or freight car und. the boards preserve their shape. But when the board is securcd in position upori a wall or is otherwise fully exposed to atmospheric air, it absorbs water vapor therefrom, and sometimes swells irregularly a.nd buckles. In some cases such buckling or warping takes place before the board is seculed in position.

In order to obtain a board having a. desired moisture content the board may be removed from' the press before the percentage 'of moisture falls below the 6% or 8% mentioned, but m order to prevent injury so the board by the expansion (as steam) 01 such moisisure, lt is necessary to cool the press and board to a. temperature. below 212 F. Such coo ling and the subsequent reheating 015 the press for operating upon succeeding sheets 01 material ls very wastetul as regards both time and heat units and unduly increases the cost 015 production.

I prefer therefore to hold the sheets in the press under high temperature and pressure until substantially dry, to open the press while still a.t high temperature, and 110 thereupon treat the boards (which may be still in heated condition), with humid air in such manner as to bring their moishure conteht up to approximately 6 to 8%, within a. reasonably short time.

The apparatus is preferably so constructed as to operate in a continuous manner upon very large quantities cf material without occupying an unduly large floor sp.ce or consuming an inordinate amount of power or heat unlts.

Furthermore the humidifier is preferably so arranged that material may be readily inserted within the humidifying chamber and withdrawn threfrom, and that the boards will be carried through such chamber in closely spaced relation to each oth er while guided and protected against injury to their faces and edges.

The invention also comprises various details of construction by which improved efiiciency is secured and operating troubles minimized.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, 01 which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the means by which the boards a re supported, guided and fed through the humidifying chamher;

Fig. 2 is an end clevation and Fig. 3 is a plan of the'complete humidifier;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation cf the same;

Fig. 5 is a side elcvation 01 the means for driving the supporting anti feeding rolls of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail side elevation 01 the board supporting and guiding means;-

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section cf a. portion of the humidifying chamber, showing the board supoprts and guides in elevation Fig. 8 is a. side elevation of the means for tensioning the guide wires;

Fig. 9 is a plan 01 the same; and Fig. 10 is a section 011 line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

The humidifier shown comprises an elongated, horizontal, rectangular chamber 1 open ab each end, through which the boards a.re fed. This chamber has side. walls 2,and'a top wall o1 roof 3 formed of wall boards 'secured 120 any suitable wood and metal frame 4 which is supported pon a foundation 5.

. The means for supporting and feeding the boards a, which ordinarily consist cf long and comparatively narrow rigid sheets, cohsist of a multiplicity of spaced rollers 6 upon which the boa.rds rest edgewise in vertical planes, belng arranged with their longest dlmension lengthwise cf the chamber 1. Therollers are provided with ed bearings 8. Each rbller shatt 7 is pro'vlded wlth a driven sprocket 9. The variou s sprockets a.re driven very slowly end at the same rate 01 speed. by an electric motor 10 end s'peed reducing gear 11, the latter comprising a sprocket 12 which drlves the sprockets 13, 13, end through seid sprockets by means of chains 14, 14, the sprocketss 9.

The movement of the rollers 6 is preferably continuous and very. slow. A low rate of Ieed is desirable, as it makes lt possible to load the rollers continuously with successive increm ents 01 boards and to sufllciently humidify each board without interrupting its passage through a chamber 01 reasonable length. In the apparatus shown the rate of feed of the boards amay be es low as 17 feet per hour, or even lass.

Guiding means for maintaining the boards a in a vertical position during theii passage thrcgh the humidifying chamber are provlded as follows: Upper end lower Sets cf parallel wires 15 are s'ecured at the entrance end 01 the chamber to transverse supDorts 16 end 17 respectively which are united to the frame, see Fig. 6. The upper wires 15 pass Irom a support 16 through openings in the extremities o! guide members er fingers 18. These-members are arranged in sets o'r units, see Fig. 1, the fingers 01 each set being clamped in parallelspaced relation 130 each other by through bolts 19 (Figs. 6 and 7) und spacers 20.

Euch set 01 guide fingers is clamped between transverse supporting beams. The flngers a.t the entrance end of the apparatus are clamped beiss tween the channel 16 und. I-beam '21 by bolts- 22 end the intermediate guide flngers are simila'rly clamped between channels 23 and 24 by bolts 25.

Each 01 the wires 15 extends throughout the length cf the humidlfylng chamber andat the exlt end is secured to a suitable tenslon device, Figs. 8 to 10. As shown, such device comprises a metal drum 26 hav ing a bar 27 welded thereto. The bar 27 has sockets 28, one for euch 01 the upper set 01 wires 15 which is held therein by set; screw 29. The drum 26 is mount ed on a shaft 32 which is journaled in the bearings 30 secured to the vertlcal frame m'ember 31, an d upon either extremity o1 the shaft is a hub 33 having an arm 34 rigid therewlth.

The hub has a projectlon 35 tormed with an eye to which is plvoted one end 01 a turnbuckle 36. The other end 01 thetu11'1buckle receives one end 01 a wire rope er cable 37 which passes over the end o! the arm 34, oc0upy a groove formed therein. The cable passes hex1ce to a grooved sheave 38, its extremlty belng tumed inward and securedthereto by clips 39.

The. sheave 38 1s journaled on a pivot p1n or 'stud 40 rigid with the block 41, the latter belng secured to the arm 42 extendlng rearwardly Irom fra'me member 31 to which lt 1s fastened. Theta ls an arm 43 rigid with the sheave 38 and provlded at its outer end wlth a, groovdzd Segment 44 which receives a wire cable 45. The upper end of the cable 45 is secured to the Segment by the lower gulde fingen 18' extend upward 1mm thelr supportlng shafts 7 jornaled in sultably supportpoints o! support lnstead of downward, the en- -trance ends 01 the lower wires extend downward und. are secured to the channel beam 17 and the exit ends 01 said wires extend downward to the tension drum 26'. The tenslon means previously described operates to actuate the drum 26' acting through the sheave 38, cab1e 37' end arm 34'. 1

The lateral spacing o1 the gulde flngers is preterably greater than twice the thickness 01 a single board so that in case boards having one smooth finished surtace are being treated they may be placed -face to Ia'ce between adjacent; guides, whereby. the flnished surfaces are protected aEainst being scratched 0r otherwls'e marred during their passage through the apparatus or their insertion withln the same or wlthdrawal therefrom.

The guide fingers 18 am]. 18' are preferably 'formed as shown with shouldexs 48 which abut against the transverse supporting beams end with tapered lateral surfaces 49 whichare cut a.way a.t 50. The tapered surfaces engage the forward ends of the boards as the y are 1'ed through the humidifier and deflect them sufllciently to clear fif1e guide flnger.

In operating the apparatus described the boards a are loaded into the left band end of the humldl- 11er as shown in Figs. 3 end 5, or the right band end as in .Flg. 1. The boards rest upon the driven rollers 6 and are slowly fed orconveyed through the humldifier being removed at jshe exit end thereot. During such transit, the boards are sub- Jected to a humidlfying atmcsphere created a.s follows:

Referring to Figs. 2 end 4, the roo1' 012 the chamber 1 is cut; away to receive a row 01 nozzles 51 dependlng from an air trunk 54 for introducing into the chamber 1 air substantially saturated with water vaipor whichls 1'orced in continuously by the blower o1 one 0x more humidifying unlts 53 o! known construction. 'Iwo such units are shown,cne for supplying a two-way air trunk 52,

Each cf the units' 53 is provided with known control means 101 varying the percentage 01 water v'apor in the mixture supplied thereby, and by using 'two such u1'1its Ior separately supplying dlfl'erent sections 01 the chamber l, very pertect control o1 the humiditying condltions withln such chamber is obtainable.

The roof 3 of the chamber 1 is provided wlth a double'row 01 air outlet openings 55, each one being provided with a regulatlng slide 56 1'or varying the slze o! the outletand in additlon curtains may'be plac'ed at each end 01 the chanber.for varying the extent o1 openlng thereot.

The apparatus is so deslgned as to cause the air Irom the nozzles 51 to travel in a substantially closed path through the spacesbetween the boards a, and in contact wlth the boards, und also thr'0ughthe spaces or gaps between the rollers 6. The molecules 01 the mixture probably 0 average several complete revolutlons in their path as shown by the arrows Flg. 2 between the inlet nozzle 51 und rellef outlet 55.

'I'hls result is obtained by leaving a space b along the center cf chamber 1 b'etween the boards q and mounting deflectors 57 on the floor o! the chamber tor turnlng the laterally spreadlng a.ir currents in an upward dlrection, aa shown by the arrows. These ascendlng currents as they enter the upper 'parl; 01 thechamber m caused to turn laterally or inwardly to complete a. closed or substantially closed pathby the injector action of the nozzles 51. Excess all substantially free of its moisture content may be released through the relief outlets 55.

As will be noted one or both of the faces 013 each of the boards a and all of the edges thereof will while traveling through the chamber 1 be bathed in a continuous current of humid air from whlch the board will absorb sufficient meisture to bring its water content up to the desired percentage. By reason of the thorough circulation of the air mixture in a. substantially closed' path and its close contact with a. large area 01 b 6a'rd surfacethe moisture is abstracted therefrom in a very efllcient manner, whereby the cost of operating the humidifying units 53 is minimized. The water w'rapor readily penetra.tes the boards especially at the edges and is absorbed thereby. Any excess of water conoent; in the portions of the boards adjacent the edges will gradually become absorbed into the more central portions'. f

The boards alter being romoved from the pre ss should have thelr four edg es trimmed in order to removeirregularities and toobtain boards 01 uniform size. Thistrimming operation is preierably performed upon the boards as they leave the huniidifler, so thatin case the edges haVe beco me marred in handllng or in their passagie through the humidifier; -the damaged portlons will be removed.

I-claim:

1. In an apparatus of the dass described the combination of a multiplicity of guide fingers arranged side by side, means for clamping said flngers together in a lateral directionto form a unit, elongated supports oontacting *witzh the front and rear faces of said unlt, and means for clamping said suppdrts agia.inst said faces.

2. In apparatus for treating sheets of board, a movable conveyor, and stationary 1'neans for guiding and laterally supporting the boards in an upright position suppori zed on gdge by the nonveyor for longitudinal movement, said means including laterally spaced guiding flngers arranged in sets spaced longitudinally 015 the conveyor travel and longitudinally extending.wlres connecting the corresponding fingers of the suc(:es-

sive sets. 3. In apparatus for treating, sheets of board,

a movable conveyor, and stationary means Ior laterally supp orting the boards in an uprlght position supported on'edgeby the conveyor for longitudinal movement, said. means includlng lower and upper sets of laterally spaced longitudinally extending gulde members supDqrting the boards a1: opposite .sides pf the upper and lower portions thereof. 4. In apparatus for treating sheets 01 board, 4 a movable conveyor, and st ationary means in duplicaLte for guiding and laterally supporting the boards at the base and top thereot in an upright position supp'orted on edge by the conv eyor each lower partof the chamber and provlded wlth airopenings, and upper and lower sets 01 stationary .aterally spaced longitudinally extendirig gulde members for retaining the boards with surfaces thereof exposed in upright position supported on edge by said conveyor for longitudinal movementy and means for causing a fiow of air throu'gh the openings in th conveyor and about sald. boards. 1

6In apparatus for treating sheets o! board a chamber a plurality of transverserollers therein arranged in spaced apartgelation to allow passageof air therebetween, means Ior driving said rollers in unison, stationary guiding means for laterially supporting the boards in upright position supported on edge by said rollers' Ior longitudinal movement, saicl guiding means including longitudinally spaoed; vertically disposed members and wires supported thereby to extend in the direction of movement 02 the boards, and means for causing a fiow 01 air through the spaces between said rollers and about sald boards.

7. In a humidifler for humidifying large sheets of compositlon board, the combinatlon of an elongated chamber higher than a dimenslon 01 the boarcls, a multiplicity of parallel rollers low down in the chamber andarrangecl with gaps o1 substantial wldth betw'een the adjacent rollers, mea ns Ior malntaining a multipllcity 013 the wlde boards in upright spaced parallel position with their lower edges resting on sa1d rollers and their upper margins dlsposed in the uppet portion 01 the chamber, means for drlvlng said rollers and thereby conveying the wide boards through the chamber, and means tor creating a vertical current cf humid alr and causing said current to "nass in a substantially closed path including movement in reverse vertical dl'rectlon through the spaces between said wlde boards and also through the gaps betw:een sald rolle1s.

8. 'I'he humldifler o! cla.lm 7 inwhich the means Ior maintaining the boards in upright spa.ced positions comprise horizontal guide members extending in the dlrectlon 015 movement 01 the boards, and supporting means therefor extendins downward trom the guide members into a space betWeen some 01 the rollers.

9. 'Ihe humidifler o! claim- 7 in which the means for malntaining the boards in upright s paced positions comprise horizontal wires extending in the directiomof movement 012 the boards, and upright members through whlch the wires are threadecl, sald uprlght members axi}:)endgxg to points below the lower eiiges o! the 

